Roger Federer returns to his desert kingdom in Dubai, where It All Added Up | ATP Tour

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Federer returns to his desert kingdom in Dubai, the place It All Added Up

Swiss legend gained eight titles in Dubai, together with his one hundredth tour-level crown in 2019

February 24, 2026

Roger Federer and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have lengthy been intertwined and on Monday, the file eight-time champion was again the place a lot of his historical past was written.

No participant has formed the hard-court occasion fairly just like the Swiss maestro, whose mix of class and sustained excellence helped flip Dubai into one of many defining stops of his profession. The previous No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings first lifted the trophy in 2003, a breakthrough season that preceded his ascent to the highest of the game.

The aura 😮‍💨@rogerfederer @DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/eTqlHMSvrp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 23, 2026

Federer would go on so as to add seven extra titles in Dubai and, throughout his appearances, he amassed a 53-6 file, in accordance with the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The occasion grew to become an everyday early-season barometer for his kind and a spot the place title runs usually foreshadowed larger achievements later within the yr.

Whereas returning to the ATP 500 match on Monday, Federer watched from the stands to see his countryman Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 champion, battle previous Benjamin Hassan.

It was in Dubai in 2019 that Federer authored one of the significant milestones of his profession. By defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title, he captured his one hundredth tour-level crown, changing into simply the second man within the Open Period to succeed in the century mark. Solely Jimmy Connors (109) had beforehand achieved the feat, and since then Novak Djokovic has joined the unique membership with 101 titles.

That victory additional cemented Federer’s place in ATP No. 1 Membership lore. He spent a file 310 weeks at World No. 1, together with 237 consecutive weeks — a reign that overlapped with three of his triumphs in Dubai. In some ways, the match mirrored his profession arc: early breakthrough, sustained dominance and late-career milestone.

Dubai additionally grew to become greater than a match cease for Federer. Over time, he continuously based mostly himself within the metropolis throughout the offseason, profiting from its coaching amenities and warm-weather situations as he ready for brand new campaigns. The familiarity bred consolation, and the consolation bred success. Federer’s victories in Dubai additionally spanned generations: From his first title at 21 to his one hundredth crown at age 37.

Now, the 40-year-old Wawrinka, who shared a chat with Federer post-match, is one in every of 5 former champions within the 2026 area, becoming a member of Tsitsipas, Ugo Humbert, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.